Other States Bar Exam

If you are a student at the College of Law interested in taking a bar in another jurisdiction, below you will find useful information that may help you in the process of registering for a bar exam in another state.

Some jurisdictions require that you take certain courses while in law school. Be sure to note those and to take them before you graduate. Remember that not every course is offered every semester, so don't wait until your last semester to take a course you need to sit for the bar exam.

Review both the website for the board of bar examiners and the bar examination application in the jurisdictions where you might like to practice law. Familiarize yourself with the particular process in the jurisdiction for which you are most likely to site for the bar examination.

Reciprocity. Some jurisdictions have "reciprocity" with other jurisdictions, which means that if you pass one jurisdiction's bar examination and are admitted to practice, you may more easily become licensed in another jurisdiction -- often without having to take a complete bar examination. Florida does not have reciprocity with any other jurisdiction, which means that other jurisdictions do not grant reciprocity with Florida-licensed attorneys (with the exception of the District of Columbia). For specific information, consult Chart IX in the ABA's Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements.

Some jurisdictions will allow you, within a relatively short time after taking your first bar examination, to "waive into" that second jurisdiction if you have a certain score on the Multistate (MBE) portion of the bar examination and also pass the second jurisdiction's character and fitness review. This brief article describes the process generally.